[Archived] Alexandria Health Department Provides Update on COVID-19 ZIP Code, Race, Ethnicity and Age Data

­­For Immediate Release: November 5, 2020

The Alexandria Health Department (AHD) has published the latest analysis of COVID-19 case data including cumulative figures and new cases by ZIP code, race, ethnicity and age groups.

Updated ZIP Code Data

As of October 31, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has reported the following cumulative COVID-19 cases (the City of Alexandria has provided the estimated population for each local ZIP code to compare the number of cases per 1,000 residents).

Cumulative ZIP Code Data Summaries (by month)

¹ The positivity rate is the number of confirmed cases divided by the number of tests.

² ZIP code 22206 is mostly in Arlington County; the City of Alexandria portion of data for 22206 is not provided, therefore the numbers and calculations would not be reliable for reporting for Alexandria.

³ ZIP codes 22311 and 22312 are shared between the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County. The number of cases and number of people tested presented in this table, and accompanying calculations, are for the entire ZIP code. Cases per 1,000 Alexandrians cannot be reliably calculated.

⁴ Data is cumulative from the onset of the pandemic to May 7, and includes cases and tests over a period greater than one month.

Significant Changes since October 5 Analysis, Using Cumulative Data

As expected with ongoing community transmission of COVID-19, there has been an increase in cumulative positive cases per 1,000 residents. The range of rates in the October 5 analysis was 8.8 (in 22314) to 49.3 (in 22305), and the range in the October 31 analysis is 9.8 to 54.1, with the same ZIP codes having the highest and lowest confirmed cases.

All Alexandria ZIP codes have continued to experience decreases in their cumulative positivity rates since the May analysis. Positivity rates measure the percentage of tests conducted in a population that are positive. This measure is influenced by a number of factors, including how many tests are conducted, who is being tested, and how rapidly the virus is spreading. While there is no perfect measure to describe the burden of COVID-19 infections during this pandemic, positivity rate is a widely-used metric despite its limitations. Data presented in the table are based on information shared by VDH and is subject to change based on updates.

In the October 5 analysis, the cumulative positivity rate ranged from 4.2% to 15.5%. In the October 31 analysis, the range is 3.6% to 14.3%. The ZIP code with the highest cumulative positivity rates since May remains 22305, but this ZIP code has also experienced an over 70% reduction in its cumulative positivity rate since the initial analysis. ZIP code 22301, with a cumulative positivity rate of 3.6%, continues to have the lowest rate since May.

Monthly ZIP Code Data Summaries

It is also important to look at the data monthly to understand the current state of the pandemic. The following analysis is a monthly snapshot of new cases and tests since the prior month’s report. This month’s report is based on data reported by VDH as of October 31 and is slightly earlier than previous month’s reports to align the monthly summaries with the end of the calendar month.

¹ The positivity rate is the number of confirmed cases divided by the number of tests.

² ZIP code 22206 is mostly in Arlington County; the Alexandria portion of data for 22206 is not provided, therefore the numbers and calculations would not be reliable for reporting for Alexandria.

³ ZIP codes 22311 and 22312 are shared between Alexandria and Fairfax County. The number of cases and number of people tested presented in this table, and accompanying calculations, are for the entire ZIP code. Cases per 1,000 Alexandrians cannot be reliably calculated.

⁴ Data is cumulative from the onset of the pandemic to May 7, and includes cases and tests over a period greater than one month.

Analysis of Monthly Data  

Five ZIP codes (22301, 22302, 22311, 22312, and 22314) have experienced decreases in positivity rates since the prior report, while two ZIP codes have experienced increases in their positivity rates (22304 increasing from 5.4% to 5.7% and 22305 increasing from 8.0% to 8.1%) as noted in the October 31 analysis.

The total number of Alexandrians tested in this analysis period was 10,555. In the most recent month, the number of tests obtained by residents increased in all ZIP codes, with the exception of ZIP code 22304. ZIP code 22304 experienced a 2.7% decrease in tests but did have the highest total testing amount of any ZIP code at 2,635.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, AHD has worked with Alexandria’s healthcare providers and community partners to increase both testing availability and testing awareness across all ZIP codes in Alexandria. Prevention of new infections remains a priority, and timely testing is one part of the multipronged pandemic response strategy. It is important for all members of the community to stay home when ill, practice physical distancing, wear masks correctly and continuously in public, wash hands frequently, and cooperate with case investigations and contact tracing when called by public health staff.

Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 by Race and Ethnicity

Everyone is at risk for COVID-19, but it has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations throughout the United States, in Virginia, regionally, and within our community, due to underlying systemic inequities. VDH has published data on COVID-19 cases by race and ethnicity since the middle of June. The following table and charts present the cumulative case data by month.

Cumulative Race and Ethnicity Data Summary

Individuals who identify as Latino or Hispanic make up 16.8% of the population in Alexandria but represent 45.7% of the diagnosed COVID-19 infections as of October 31. There has been a decline in the proportion of cumulative COVID-19 infections diagnosed among Latinos over time.

Monthly New Case Race and Ethnicity Data

When looking at COVID-19 cases reported from October 6 through October 31, 20.0% of cases were among residents who identify as Black, which is a decrease from the prior report’s 25.1%. Residents who identify as Latino or Hispanic comprised 39.8% of cases during the same period, which is an increase from the prior report’s 36.4%. The percentage of newly reported cases of COVID-19 among people identifying as white increased in this analysis, from 21.7% to 30.2%. If cases were proportionate by population groups, AHD would expect to see whites with the highest number of cases with almost double the number of cases compared to the Black population.

Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 by Age

When looking at cumulative data, the largest proportion of cases continue to be among those 30 to 39 years old, which is to be expected based on Alexandria’s population.

Cumulative Age Data Summary

Monthly New Case Age Data Summary

Those who are 20 to 29 years old represent the largest proportion of newly reported cases from October 6 to October 31. There was an increase in cases during this same time period seen among the 50 to 59 and 60 to 69 age groups.

What Alexandria Health Department is Doing

AHD is a mission-driven organization whose response to this pandemic is consistent with its public health justice principles. AHD has developed and continues to update Strategic Action Frameworks that guide efforts and help prepare for evolving challenges.

 AHD activities in the past month to combat the COVID-19 pandemic include:

• Supported the Alexandria Office of Voter Registration and Elections by providing guidance on public health recommendations to help keep everyone safe while voting and providing Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers to increase safety during the voting process.
• Conducted town halls for administrators and staff of daycares and parents of children who attend daycare to educate and empower daycares and families on how to stay safe during this pandemic. View recordings of the town halls online.
• Conducted two town halls for residents of Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority apartments.
• Continued preparations to equitably and efficiently distribute a COVID-19 vaccine once a safe vaccine is available.
• Responded to cases and outbreaks in the community. AHD case investigators and contact tracers work seven days a week to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 infection. AHD analyzed aggregate data on cases to help inform best infection prevention practices and shared key findings with the community.
• Provided technical support to Neighborhood Health to organize and coordinate regularly targeted testing events for communities who may have otherwise had limited access to testing and for those who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case. AHD analyzes data and identifies these communities based on need. There were five testing events in October, and AHD and the City maintain resources regarding local testing facilities where Alexandrians can get tested any day of the week.
• Supported City agencies, faith-based organizations, schools, daycares, and governmental leadership with recommendations based on up-to-date COVID-19 epidemiology and research.
• Responded to complaints about businesses not adhering to the state Executive Order on masks and supported businesses in their commitment to the ALX Promise.
• Recruited, trained, coordinated and supported AHD’s MRC volunteers, who staff the COVID-19 Hotline Call Center weekdays from 9am-6pm, responding to 357 calls from Alexandria residents and businesses regarding COVID-19 questions, issues and concerns in October.
• Provided personal protective equipment (PPE) to Alexandria healthcare providers that offer COVID-19 testing. With MRC volunteer support, AHD distributed 15,000 surgical masks, 7,800 medical gowns, 16,400 medical gloves and more than 2,500 face shields free of charge in October.